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EU to observe elections in Sudan: Ashton

BRUSSELS, Apr 09, 2010 (Xinhua via COMTEX) --
European Union (EU) said in a
statement on Friday that its independent electoral observation
mission will observe Sunday's presidential and parliamentary
elections in Sudan.

The decision to deploy one of EU's largest missions was taken
in recognition of the importance of the Sudanese elections which
should serve to open "the political space" and pave the way for a
"democratic transformation," said Catherine Ashton, the high
representative for foreign affairs and security policy in a
statement.

She encouraged all engaged Sudanese parties and stakeholders to
contribute to satisfactory conditions, including removing the
remaining technical, administrative and political obstacles, for
the people of Sudan to cast their votes.

The upcoming elections are an important benchmark in the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement between North and South Sudan, said
the statement.

The independent EU Electoral Observation Mission is
continuously re-assessing the situation in order to guarantee the
most appropriate deployment of its observers.

"In Darfur, a number of parameters necessary for the full
deployment of observers were reviewed, leading to necessary
technical adjustments as regards their deployment in that region,"
the statement added.